Injection cartridge



March 1967 E. v. RUTKOWSKI INJECTION CARTRIDGE Filed July 24, 1964 A W R2 0m E KE LO V L 6 N U l R] A F M V O 2 E N as E G W G C2 w m F x W FIG.

FIG.

FIG.

United States Patent 3,308,818 INJECTION CARTRIDGE Eugene V. Rutkowski,1010 Esplanade, Apt. 17, Redondo Beach, Calif., 90277 Filed July 24,1964, Ser. No. 385,092 Claims. (Cl. 128-173) The invention describedherein may be manufactured and use-d by or for the Government of theUnited States of America for governmental purposes without the paymentof any royalties thereon or therefor.

This inventionrelates to improvements in apparatus for effectingsubcutaneous and intramuscular injections of medicaments and the likeinto human beings and animals, and more particularly to improvements forinjection without the use of 'a hypodermic needle.

A. recent technique has evolved for subcutaneous injections without theuse of a hypodermic needle in which a metered quantity of injectant isprojected against the skin at such high pressure and velocity that itpenetrates the skin. Such technique is exemplified by the multi-doseinjector, manufactured by the R. P. Sherer Company of Detroit, Mich.Such device is quite complicated and expensive and requires an electricmotor source for developing the requisite pressure for the injectantgun. In remote regions, where a source of electric power is notavailable, it therefore becomes unusable. Also, because of itsconsiderable bulk and weight it presents transportation difficultiesinto such regions.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a needlelessinjection device which contains a potential source of gas pressure whichmay be activated, when desired, and without any specialized poweroperated apparatus.

Another object is to provide a disposable device of such type forinjecting a single metered dose.

A further object is to provide a disposable device of such type whichmay be constructed so economically that it can be made available to agreater number of users in need of the same.

Still further objects, advantages and salient features will become moreapparent from the description to follow, the appended claims and theaccompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is an enlarged central section through one form of the invention;

FIGS. 1A and 1B are like sections illustrating various stages ofoperation;

FIG. 2 is a like section through another form of the invention;

FIG. 2A is a like section of FIG. 2 illustrating the final stage ofoperation;

FIG. 3 illustrates a modified type of igniter, and

FIG. 4 illustrates a gun which may be optionally employed with any ofthe various forms of the invention.

Referring now to the drawing, and particularly to FIG. 1, the subject ofthe invention, in one of its forms, comprises a cylindrical capsule ortube closed at one end by a closure 12 and in which is housed aspherical container 14 which is filled with the desired injectant fluid16. A head or cap member 18 sealingly closes the opposite end of thecapsule to prevent leakage of high pressure gas. The cap may thre-adedlyengage the tube, as shown, or otherwise be sealingly secured to it suchas by deforming the upper edge of the tube, as by rolling, over theupper edge of the cap. As will be apparent, cements, solders and thelike may be employed to sealingly bond the cap to the tube.

A predetermined quantity of propellant powder 20 is disposed within thecylindrical capsule or tube 10, which 3,308,818 Patented Mar. 14, 1967upon igniting, will produce a predetermined gas pressure within thecapsule. Ignition of the propellant may be efiected by a conventionalsquib 22 containing a bridge wire (not shown) which is energized byelectric current from a small portable battery, such as a flash lightbattery, through a suitable electric lead 24.

The head or cap member is provided with an aperture 25 which leaves asmall area of the spherical container wall unsupported and into whichthe wall may rupture when the injectant container is pressurized. Thisaperture communicates with a small discharge orifice 26 through whichthe injectant is expelled at extremely high velocity, sufiicient toeffect subcutaneous or intra-muscular penetration of the injectant.

FIG. 1A illustrates the deformation of the injectant container shortlyafter ignition of the squib at which time the wall has ruptured intoaperture 25 and the fluid is being expelled through orifice 26 at highvelocity. FIG. 18 illustrates complete deformation or retroversion ofthe container in which the lower half of the spherical wall has engagedthe upper half and the volume of the container has been reduced to itsminimum.

The injectant container may be constructed of any material, such asmetal or plastic, which is sufliciently ductile to deform, asillustrated, yet not rupture to permit entry of the high pressure gasinto the container. In some instances it may be desirable to dispose aductile heat shield at least adjacent the lower portion of the containerto prevent excessive heat transmission to the container wall which mightcause rupture by melting or other high temperature failure.

FIG. 2 illustrates a modified form of injectant container 14A which isdome-shaped at one end,-as in the previous embodiment, but is otherwisecylindrical in shape. FIG. 2A illustrates the complete deformation ofthis container after being pressurized.

FIG. 3 illustrates another form of igriiter in the form of a percussioncap 22A which may be initiated by impact of a firing pin 30.

FIG. 4 is exemplary of a gun" 32 containing an injectant cartridge. Anysuitable movable closure 34 may be employed to permit insertion of thecartridge into the gun after which it may be initiated by a trigger 36which may operate a hammer for the percussion type or operate a switchfor the electric squib type. The battery may cOnveniently be housedwithin the handle of the gun.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention arepossible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to beunderstood that within the scope of the appended claims the inventionmay be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for subcutaneous injections of liquid medicaments and thelike, comprising;

(a) an outer container adapted to withstand high gas pressure,

(b) a hermetically sealed ductile inner container, containing themedicament,

(c) said inner container having a first portion of its wall supported bysaid outer container and a second portion adapted to deform into aretroversion contact with the first portion, without rupturing, tothereby reduce its volume to zero,

(d) said first portion of the inner container being unsupported by theouter container over a relatively small area to permit the innercontainer to rupture,

(e) a nozzle in the outer container communicating with said area throughwhich the medicament may be discharged at a sufiiciently high velocityto eifect subcutaneous injection,

3 (f) a powder type propellant in said first container, the

products of combustion of which are adapted to deform said innercontainer, and

(g) means for initiating combustion of said propellant.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said second container isspherical in shape with a first hemispherical portion supported by saidfirst container and a second hemispherical portion unsupported andadapted to be deformed concavely hemispherical and into contact with thefirst hemispherical portion.

3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said second container iscylindrical in shape with an unsupported end wall adapted to be deformedconcavely and into contact with the supported portion.

4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein the means for initiatingcombustion of said propellant comprises an electrically initiated squib.

5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein the means for initiatingcombustion of said propellant comprises a percussion cap.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,642,950 9/1927Haas 128265 5 2,151,418 3/1939 Bolte 128265 2,816,544 12/1957 Scherer etal 128-173 3,071,294 1/1963 Galbierz 222541 3,145,712 8/1964 Litz 12817310 References Cited by the Applicant UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,674,9984/1954 Boehm.

2,854,925 10/1958 Crockford et al.

2,876,771 3/ 1959 Dunmire. 15 3,023,750 3/1962 Baron.

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,121,237 4/1956 France.

20 RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

K. L. HOWELL, Assistant Examiner.

1. APPARATUS FOR SUBCUTANEOUS INJECTIONS OF LIQUID MEDICAMENTS AND THELIKE, COMPRISING; (A) AN OUTER CONTAINER ADAPTED TO WITHSTAND HIGH GASPRESSURE, (B) A HERMETICALLY SEALED DUCTILE INNER CONTAINER, CONTAININGTHE MEDICAMENT, (C) SAID INNER CONTAINER HAVING A FIRST PORTION OF ITSWALL SUPPORTED BY SAID OUTER CONTAINER AND A SECOND PORTION ADAPTED TODEFORM INTO A RETROVERSION CONTACT WITH THE FIRST PORTION, WITHOUTRUPTURING, TO THEREBY REDUCE ITS VOLUME TO ZERO, (D) SAID FIRST PORTIONOF THE INNER CONTAINER BEING UNSUPPORTED BY THE OUTER CONTAINER OVER ARELATIVELY SMALL AREA TO PERMIT THE INNER CONTAINER TO RUPTURE, (E) ANOZZLE IN THE OUTER CONTAINER COMMUNICATING WITH SAID AREA THROUGH WHICHTHE MEDICAMENT MAY BE DISCHARGED AT A SUFFICIENTLY HIGH VELOCITY TOEFFECT SUBCUTANEOUS INJECTION, (F) A POWDER TYPE PROPELLANT IN SAIDFIRST CONTAINER, THE PRODUCTS OF COMBUSTION OF WHICH ARE ADAPTED TODEFORM SAID INNER CONTAINER, AND (G) MEANS FOR INITATING COMBUSTION OFSAID PROPELLANT.